A Return Worth Waiting For
by MidnightInspiration3
Summary: Sarah is bored with life since she left the Labyrinth, yet she isn't even sure if it is real anymore. That is, until she gets disturbing news of the Underground and goes back to face it again to help her friends, the Labyrinth, and even Jareth.
1. Ch 1: Young and Aspiring

Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth or its' characters, although I wish I did.

First off, this is my first fanfic so any and all feedback is welcome and encouraged...enjoy.

Secondly, and lastly, I used the title of an Underoath song for chapter one. I know the song does not really go with the content of the chapter, but the title does...so I kept it.

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Sarah Williams was bored. She was so sick of the monotonous routine that her life had become. Wake up, get Toby ready for school, sit at her computer and attempt to write something decent (and failing miserably), go to work, come home, go to bed. It was utterly dull. The sad part was that this lifestyle was her choice. After she graduated college, she had moved back home while she tried looking for a job at a publishing company. In the meantime, she was trying to write her stories, and juggle her part time job as the town's librarian. It wasn't too hard, just…boring. She longed for another adventure, but she feared that she had already had the biggest adventure of her life. And she wasn't even sure if it was real.

It had been six years since Sarah had returned from the Labyrinth. She longed to go back and see her friends, but were they actually real? Did the Underground actually exist?

After the first few months of her trip back, she could summon Hoggle and the others without a problem. Whenever she had a bad day, or was feeling lonely or upset, she could just say, 'I need you," and they were there. Her own little support group. Yet, as she started to grow up, she began to slowly stop calling on them as frequently. Then finally, she just stopped completely. She got caught up in college, and other friends, and life. When she finally stopped to take a break from her hectic life, she went home on Christmas break and tried to call her friends to her. It wouldn't work. She thought maybe they hadn't heard her, which was ridiculous, she knew. She tried again. Nothing. Sarah began to panic and frantically tried to call on them for hours. Finally, she just sat in front of the mirror and wept. She had lost them. She let them slip away as she tried to move on to be an adult. She thought she needed to be more independent and not so clingy to her childhood.

So slowly over time, without the assurance of her friends' presence, she started to doubt the existence of them, and the Underground. Sarah started to believe it was all one big, elaborate dream. There was nothing left to argue otherwise. It wasn't possible for all of it to be real.

Of course, even though she doubted it all, her subconscious would not be ignored. Night after night, she dreamed of the magic of the Labyrinth. She dreamed of seeing her friends and all the things they would do together. Mostly though, she dreamed of a certain mysterious, annoying, and arrogant man who had plagued her thoughts ever since that day. She was annoyed with herself that she couldn't simply forget her childish ways and let go finally. She had no regrets. Everything that she did in the Labyrinth, she would do over again. None of her decisions would have changed….except maybe eating that damn peach. Sure it had given her quite an interesting dream that still haunted her, but for the most part, it was quite a troublesome experience. Yet. . .even that experience might be worth reliving. Maybe.

In any case, she still would have refused Jareth's last offer. . . Not that she was admitting that it was real, per se. He had Toby, what else could she have done? He needed her to save him, and she did. Jareth was just using any means possible to win. It was all a game to him. She seemed to have the impression that he had been doing this a long time. What did it matter if one person won their loved one back?

No, she was certain that she would have still said those same words, words that seemed to _almost_ affect the Goblin King's indifference. Almost. Six words, that's all it took in the end. And then she was back at home, with Toby-in her dream, of course since it would be silly to still think it was all real. However, she still dreamed of her friends and seeing that beautiful, mysterious land again.

Sometimes she humored herself by allowing herself to believe that it was real. On those days, she fiercely wished to be able to go back. Even if it was real though, Sarah had a feeling she might not have a warm welcome awaiting her return. After all, she did reject the Goblin King, defy his entire Labyrinth, and turn his subjects against him. Not exactly something a man can get over easily, especially for a man. They had such pride issues. If she wanted to go back and it was real, she could have just wished herself to the Labyrinth, but she never dared to try it out. What if it didn't work? She would be devastated to realize that none of it ever existed. The truest friends she ever had, had been imaginary. On the other hand, what if it worked? That was an entirely different issue to think about. Sure she would have been right all along in believing in the Underground, but would she be trapped forever this time? Would she be met with hostility by her friends? What would Jareth do?

These thoughts circled their way around Sarah's head for years. It was exhausting, really, trying to figure out if you were a little crazy, or if you had actually had a special journey into a magical land with goblins and other creatures. Either way, Sarah couldn't decide which was which, and so didn't entirely give up on either one being a possibility.

So, she went to college like a good girl. She had just graduated with a degree in creative writing. She used her experiences, or dreams (whichever way she felt about it that day) as inspiration for writing. After she graduated a few months ago, she moved back home to get her post grad life together before diving into the real world. Sarah tried getting a job at all the publishing companies, but it was harder to get hired then she thought. So, for now she settled on being the librarian. It was an easy job, and quite enjoyable at times. She didn't give up on her stories, although inspiration had been lacking of late. The library opened up many opportunities for her, one of which was meeting Jonathan.

Jonathan was a graduate from the local university the next town over. He graduated with a teaching degree in math. He was quite nerdy, but confident in himself. He visited the library often and immediately noticed Sarah. He would talk to her everyday and come in just to see her. They became friends, and Sarah really enjoyed his company. He was easy to talk to but Sarah was never very comfortable around guys. He slowly warmed her up to him until finally one day, he got the courage to ask her something.

"Um. . .Sarah," he said. She looked up.

"Oh hi Jonathan. How was tutoring today?" Jonathan was a math tutor at the high school, getting his foot in the door, as he put it.

"Good, listen, Sarah, I was wondering if you would want to go to dinner with me tonight."

"Oh." She was caught off guard. Sure she had been asked out before, but she usually kept to herself. She just never desired to pursue a serious relationship. Sure she had a few boyfriends in college, but nothing really deep or lasting. She just couldn't seem to find the right person that made her want to jump in to a relationship. No one was interesting enough to keep her attention. So when she answered Jonathan, it wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"Look, Jonathan, I'm sorry if I have given you the wrong impression, I didn't mean to. I am just not interested in you that way." The words came out in a rush.

"Oh, I see. You're already taken aren't you? I knew it! All the great girls already have boyfriends."

Sarah was about to refute the conclusion he had hastily jumped to, but stopped herself. This was an easy out. She wouldn't have to explain anything this way, like she did for others.

"Yea, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lead you on. If I did, it was unintentional. My…boyfriend is abroad so we are doing the whole long distance thing. Otherwise, you would definitely being seeing him hang around here." The lies came so easily.

"Oh, ok. Well, I know the long distance thing can be hard, but if he's the one, it will work out. He's a lucky guy."

"Thanks."

"What's his name?"

"Jareth." She was thoroughly appalled at what she had just blurted out. Her face turned bright red. Why did she say _his_ name? It had just popped into her head, and she had gone with it.

"You're blushing."

"Um yea…I guess he has that effect on me." She wanted to smack herself in the head. She was not using her brain today. At all.

"Well, good luck, and I guess I will see you around."

"Ok, sure thing."

When he left, she slid down the length of the librarian's desk until she was sitting on the floor where no one could see her. She covered her face with one of her hands while the other was ferociously pulling at her hair. Stupid, Stupid. STUPID.

She sighed deeply. What had made her say those things? It wasn't like she was in love with the Goblin King. That would be so cliché that it made her sick to think about it. Sure, she had sort of had a crush on him when she was fifteen but it had passed and now he was just a lingering reminder of an adventurous dream. If he turned out to be real, he would get a kick out of this. Oh the humiliation! He would never let her live it down. Well, she never intended seeing the Goblin King again, so that solved that problem. She stood up and said aloud, "That was nothing, just thinking on my feet." She said this out loud just in case he was actually real and could somehow see and hear everything that had transpired in the past few minutes. You know, as a safety. Although, he wouldn't buy it. Oh she was losing it. She shook her head and went to shelve a pile of books that had been returned.


	2. Ch 2: Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying

So...I will try to be regular with updates, but it wont be this fast everytime. Enjoy and comment

That night at home, Sarah made dinner for her and Toby. It was like she had never left…staying home on a Friday night to watch him while her dad and step-mom went out to dinner or to a movie. Although, after the Labyrinth, she didn't really mind it anymore. She appreciated Toby so much more and they became very close. Whether it was a dream or not, she definitely got something from her time in the Labyrinth. Toby adored her, and she reciprocated those feelings. It was hard for him when she had gone off to college 200 miles away. Now, he was ecstatic that she was home for the indefinite future.

"Sarah! When will dinner be ready? I'm so huuungry."

"How can you be hungry now? You just had a snack an hour ago."

"I'm a growing boy, that's what Mommy says. I need the extra food." He gave her a wide smile that showed the gaps where his baby teeth had started to fall out.

"Smooth." She laughed at his persuasion. The kid was so charismatic at only seven. "Okay, its ready, so you don't have to worry about waiting any longer."

Sarah laid a plate down in front of Toby and watched him eat as she picked at her food. She thought about Jonathan, his asking her out, her idiotic responses, and lastly, her increasing desire to find the truth about the Labyrinth at any cost. She was sick of trying to figure out if she was half-crazy or not.

"Aren't you hungry Sarah?"

"What? Oh, I guess not. What about you? Is it good?"

"Oh yea! I love YOUR macaroni and cheese." Then he leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "Mommy's isn't very good."

Sarah laughed aloud, "Don't tell Mommy that."

"I wont," he said fervently. " I promise!" After dinner, Sarah helped him with his homework, read him a book, and then helped him get ready for bed. As Toby hopped around his room in his Superman footy pajamas (he loved showing them off whenever he could), Sarah pulled back the covers to his bed and plumped his pillows. She babied him-she knew it, but she didn't care.

She motioned for him to get under the covers and he reluctantly got in. She tucked him in and was about to turn off the light when he said, "Sarah…"

"Yes Toby?" He always tried to postpone sleep as long as possible. One time he tried to convince her that he was an insomniac- a word he heard from his mom, the therapist. Yet, instead of saying insomniac, he said "insaniac." Sarah smiled from the memory.

"Why don't you read me the goblin story anymore?"

"The Labyrinth?"

"Ye, that one! I like that one." Honestly, Sarah was surprised he remembered it at all. She had stopped reading it to him years ago.

"I don't know…do you want me to read it to you?"

"Yes please!" He was so excited he started to get out of bed.

"Whoa, where are you going? I'm not going to read it to you tonight. We'll start it another night. Right now, you have to go to bed, mister, or your mother will be mad at me."

"Okay…" he huffed very dramatically to show his displeasure.

"Goodnight, see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Sarah. I love you!"

"I love you too, Toby."

When Sarah got to her room, she flopped down on her bed and looked up at the ceiling. Actually, she surveyed the whole room. It had changed so much over the years. She had gotten rid of her stuffed animals, toys, and fantasy knick knacks that she had once treasured and collected. Replaced by her childhood memories, were grown up looking objects. She had a desk in the far corner of the room with a computer and papers on it. Her posters were gone, replaced with a few simple art pieces that some of her art major friends had made. Lastly, her favorite change to her room, was the towering bookcase against the wall next to her bed. She was well on her way to having her own library. As she scanned the book's spines, one jumped out at her immediately. Its' small, thin red cover with gold lettering glinted at her, almost in a mocking manner. She stood up and yanked it off of the shelf. She walked over to her vanity and sat down. She looked from her reflection to the book, and back. She wanted desperately to believe it was all real.

Sarah opened the book and started reading. She vaguely noted that her parents had just come home but paid little attention to them. As she began to reread what used to be her favorite book, the memories and images of her trip flooded her thoughts. There was no way this could have been a dream. It had felt so _real. _She stayed up reading, until she had gotten to the final chapter. As she read six very familiar words, a strange feeling came over her. _You have no power over me_. She thought about the way Jareth had looked when she said it to him. That looked haunted her dreams. She remembered that feeling of relief when she realized that she had succeeded. As she watched the owl fly out of her home and out of her life, Sarah had felt so relieved that she had won Toby back. She had rushed to his room to find him there, sleeping, oblivious to everything. The depth of those emotions she had felt in that moment could not have been imagined.

It was all real.

She believed it this time, with all her heart. She didn't know why those words triggered her wake up call, but she just knew she had found the right answer. The Underground was a real place, she felt it with every fiber of her being. Her friends were real too. Sarah began to feel very giddy at the thought of seeing her friends. She wanted to see them so bad. She _needed_ to see them. She turned back to the mirror and said with all sincerity, trust, and belief, "I need you Hoggle."

Sarah sat, waiting for him to appear. It had to work this time, it just had to!

Nothing.

Sarah was adamant though. She would not give up on them this time. She tried again. Still nothing. Sarah sighed and refused to feel defeated. As she sat there wondering why he wouldn't respond, Sarah thought of another way to summon him-a more powerful way. A way that had taken her brother from her six years ago.

As she was about to wish Hoggle into her room, she caught a glimpse of movement in her mirror. She turned around quickly and saw a transparent Hoggle standing in her room.

"Hoggle!" She ran to him but when she tried to hug him, she felt air. "Hoggle, what's going on? Why cant I touch you? And why didn't you come right away?"

"Sarah, I'm so glad you called on me. We needs you. The magic of the Labyrinth is fading, that's why I cant be here in the flesh. It was hard enough just making it here after I heard you calling."

"What's wrong?"

"It's the Underground, Sarah. Nothin's right since you left."

"What do you mean?"

"Since you beat Jareth, everything changed. If you don't come back, the Underground will fall apart. I don't know what will happen if it does. We all are scared of what's going to happen."

"What? Why is it happening?"

" I don't know! Jareth does, but he wont tell anyone. All's he tells me is that you are the only one who can do anything about it. That's why I am so glad you finally called me. We've been waiting for you to believe again and come back."

"Wait, why am I the one who can fix it?" Hoggle shrugged.

"Don't know. Jareth tells me nothin'."

Sarah couldn't keep from asking the question that had been bothering her for years. "Why wouldn't you come when I called on you a couple years ago?"

"Because you didn't really believe anymore. Sure, you probably believed a little, but not enough to have the magic bring me to you." Sarah was about to respond when Hoggle cut her off.

"Never mind that! We have bigger problems. We need you Sarah….are you coming?" Sarah thought about it. This was what she had been dreaming of for six years…the chance to go back to the Labyrinth and see her friends. Except this didn't sound like it would be a social visit. Who knew what awaited her this time? Did she really want to go back? And what if there was no way to return once she got to the Underground? Yet…it wasn't like she had much of a life here. Other than Toby, there was nothing here that held her to this world. She found her answer in Hoggle's eyes. The desperation she saw made her realize she couldn't let her old friend down.

"Yes Hoggle, I am coming with you." He looked so relieved.

"We must hurry then, Sarah. We aint got time to waist. Just wish yourself into the Labyrinth, and Jareth will take it from there. See you soon, Sarah." With that, he disappeared.

Sarah took a deep breath. She was really doing this. First, she went to Toby's room. After all, she may never see him again. She didn't know. Sarah knelt by his bed and brushed the blonde hair from his forehead, and planted a kiss there.

"Goodbye, Toby," She whispered. "I love you, never forget that." With a few tears escaping her eyes, she walked back to her room. As she wiped away the tears, she realized that she needed to be prepared for an extended stay. She changed from her sweats and slippers, into jeans, sneakers, and a comfy t shirt. Then she grabbed her shoulder bag and filled it with some extra clothes and a jacket. At the last minute, she grabbed a flashlight and stuffed it in. She was ready.

Sarah stood in the middle of her room, closed her eyes and took one deep breath before saying, "I wish I was in the Labyrinth, right now."


	3. Ch 3: The Only Hope For Me Is You

So I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.

I hope this chapter is okay...I struggled with how I would write Jareth and Sarah's "reunion" and it was tough getting it just right. So if it isn't everything you imagined, sorry. If it is, awesome. ENjoy and comment!

Sarah instantaneously found herself on a familiar hill overlooking the Labyrinth. As she looked out over the Labyrinth, she didn't see much of a change, on the outside at least. The sky was darker, though. Instead of the golden, orange haze that had clung to the air around the Labyrinth, a dark, grey cloudy sky occupied the air.

"Ah, so you _have_ returned." Sarah whirled around to the sound of _his_ voice. "I was beginning to think you would never figure it out."

"W-what?" Not only was she confused by what he was saying, but she was also a little unnerved by him sneaking up on her.

"Figuring out that it was all real. It took you long enough." He looked at her as if she were completely dense. Sarah took in his appearance and stance. He was leaning against a gnarly old tree, the bark blackened by some long ago fire. His physical appearance had not changed at all in the six years since she had been here: his long, blonde mane still stuck out at gravity-defying angles, his skin still smooth, porcelain, and flawless as ever. His eyes, however, showed their age. In his stare, he truly looked ancient. His eyes betrayed an exhausted, frustrated man.

"So…what is this all about?"

Jareth sighed and pushed himself off of the tree and walked towards her. Damn, he looked good. She hated acknowledging it, but how could she not with him standing before her in all his otherworldly glory? Instead of saying or doing anything to betray her thoughts, she lifted her head up with as much dignity as she could muster and waited for his answer.

"Well, my dear, dear Sarah, when someone comes into my Labyrinth, beats it, and then tells me that I have no power over them, things tend to change."

"What happened?"

"Being as you are the only person to have beaten my Labyrinth, it shook things up, to say the least. When you beat my Labyrinth and _insisted_ that I had no power over you, I lost much of my power over the Underground." He had a grudging, bitter sound to his words. She guess she couldn't blame him. "If I, the _Goblin King_ couldn't control and subdue a mortal teenage girl, then I was not suitable to rule the Underground anymore. I answer to the Underground; it has rules and regulations. Everything you did here had consequences, yet you weren't the one who had to live with them." He flung these last words at her with vehemence and irritation. Sarah took a step back to be a little farther away from the rising anger of the Goblin King.

He scrutinized the motion. "I'm not going to harm you, Sarah. Not when I need you. However, if you feel more comfortable retreating from me, then by all means…"

"I'm not retreating," she denied emphatically, "I was just being cautious."

Jareth chuckled darkly, without humor. "Oh Sarah, you haven't changed a bit. Still as stubborn, willful, and confrontational as ever."

"You're still as arrogant, self-assured, and condescending as ever."

He smiled cynically and bowed low in a mocking gesture, "I'm a man of many talents and qualities."

Sarah was growing tired of his annoying personality after only being with him for a few minutes. "Enough with the egotism. Why am I the only one who can fix the Labyrinth?"

"Because, _Precious_," he emphasized condescendingly, "you're the one who destroyed it in the first place." He said it so matter-of-factly, as if it was the answer four to the problem two plus two.

"You're not going to admit any blame in this?"

"I have none."

"Right…so taking Toby away and then refusing to give him to me and forcing me to run your Labyrinth was still all of my fault?"

"Precisely."

"I don't see your logic-"

"Of course you don't. You cant begin to try and accept responsibility that _you_ wished your brother away, _you _chose to run my Labyrinth to get him back, and _you_ chose to disregard my generous offers all for a baby."

"I said that in a moment of selfish stupidity," Sarah declared, "and you didn't have to keep To-"

He cut her off sharply, "Yes I did Sarah. I am bound by rules. I cannot break one of the most sacred rules the Underground has: I cannot simply _give_ back a child that has been wished away. They must decide for themselves if they love them enough to try, and if so, put that love to the test. It is not within my power to break that rule. I was as tightly bound as you." His eyes were steely, angry. Jareth hadn't meant to show so much of his pent up anger to the girl. It was so easy to be the cool, aloof man that he had had centuries to practice being. Apparently that had gone out the window.

Sarah was speechless. She had not really considered Jareth's part in his involvement with Toby. Was he telling the truth? Had he really had as little choice as she had? She watched him as his anger slowly faded and then he was the Goblin King. The insincere smile was on his face, while the rest of his body had the devil-may-care appearance.

"Now, since you were the one who destroyed my Labyrinth, you hold the power to restore it." Sarah could tell it was killing him to admit that he had no control over his own kingdom, and on top of that, ask for help. "You have two options, at least that I can see. Option number one: deny your previous claim that I have no power over you. Fear me, love me, do as I say-"

"Absolutely not."

"-and the Underground will be appeased that you have put the power and control back in my hands. However, you would have to stay here with me permanently."

"That is NOT going to happen, Jareth."

"I though so. Lucky for me, there is a second option, although it's much harder: you must go though the Labyrinth again and beat it, just as before. You must do this not for your brother, not for yourself, but for me, the Labyrinth, and all its inhabitants. You must get to the center of the Labyrinth and win it for me. This will appease the Underground as an acceptable way to restore my power."

Sarah thought about it. "How much time do I have? Is it still thirteen hours?"

"No, I don't think so. I don't believe there is a time limit, but it is crucial that you solve it as quickly as possible. If the Underground falls apart before you make it to the castle, then it is too late."

"What happens if I don't succeed?" Sarah was afraid of the answer.

"I honestly don't know. But I have a strong feeling I will cease to exist, we all will. Even you, if you are in the Labyrinth when it happens."

This was a lot to take in. This was so much more than Sarah had expected. So much pressure! If she accepted the challenge, then she was risking death herself, but if she didn't, her friends would be gone. She couldn't do that to them…she couldn't do it to Jareth.

Jareth saw her struggling to find an answer, "There is always Option One. It's so much easier, and more enjoyable for me." Sarah gave him a dirty look. Ah, he knew she wouldn't have gone for it. Her accepting Option One was about as likely as Hell freezing over. Twice.

Sarah took a deep breath and answered the Goblin King. "I'll do it."

"Perfect! You're going to love it here. It may take a few years to get used to, but I think you'll come around."

"Not Option One! You _know_ I was referring to the second option." He was so exasperating.

"Oh, all right, but the first is so much easier."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Is there anything else I need to know before I start?"

Jareth suddenly switched from teasing banter to serious. "Yes, by my estimate, I would guess that you have about a week to solve the Labyrinth before the Underground disintegrates."

"That's not so bad. I did it in thirteen hours, this should be a-"

Jareth glared at her. "Do NOT say a piece of cake. The Labyrinth has changed. I have become powerless to stop it from the changes it has made. It is much more dangerous, and much more hard. Be careful, and don't be stupid. I will be ready for your assistance when needed. The Underground will allow me to help you, I believe. If you get in a tight spot call me and I will be there in an instant. I will summon Higgle to help you as well, although I doubt he will be of use to you."

Sarah nodded. She had to take this seriously, all of their lives depended on it. "Okay, call for help if needed, use Hoggle, and do it fast."

"Yes, now get going. You cant afford to waste any time. Hogsbreath will be waiting for you at the gate." As she started to leave, she saw a wicked look in his eyes.

"…by the way, I don't think it would have been so bad for you to choose Option One. I think you would secretly enjoy it." He smiled deviously.

"I highly doubt that."

"That's not what it sounded like when you were explaining our "relationship" to that foolish boy." Sarah's jaw dropped and she was at a loss for words. "You know, I don't usually do the long distance relationship…but I think we can make it work, if we were committed." He laughed cynically, and Sarah turned the brightest shade of red he had ever seen.

Sarah was utterly mortified.. But that didn't stop her from thinking of a quick response, "Don't flatter yourself," she retorted, "I was just-"

"I know, thinking on your feet. I wouldn't dream of it any other way." He was still laughing as he disappeared into thin air. Sarah huffed at him and tried not to think of how humiliated she felt. Instead, she distracted herself with the very daunting task that was before her and started for the Labyrinth as she had long ago.


	4. Ch 4: Here We Go Again

**Hello everyone! Thank you all for putting my story on alert/favorite, and/or commenting. It makes this all worth it to know someone is reading this. So...I had a severe case of writer's block (my arch nemesis) on this chapter. I dont know if I am fully satisfied with the final product but I hope it is at least a little enjoyable to you guys. Lastly, I tried to make this chapter longer because it seems like my other chapters were kind of short. Hopefully, they will all be this long in the future. Read and review! **

Sarah heard thunder rumbling as she headed down the hill that would lead to the Labyrinth's gates. She was just reaching the walls of the Labyrinth when she realized that nothing looked as she had remembered it. There was no pond where she had found Hoggle urinating. The fairies weren't in sight, and the walls seemed to have been in a recent battle. The stone walls had large chunks of it missing, and there was debris everywhere. As Sarah carefully stepped around large stones and rabble, she heard a low humming sound. An orange fairy was flying around her head. It was making high-pitched squeaking sounds and shaking her finger at her. This didn't look good. Sarah tried to get away from her, but it followed her and kept making those awful noises.

"Sarah! There you are. I was starting to get worried…is that a fairy?"

"Yes, it wont leave me alone."

"Sarah, we have to go, now."

Sarah tried to run to Hoggle, but tripped over a large brown, glittery piece of stone. Hoggle was making his way to her, slowly.

"Hurry! Before they get here!"

"Who?" She shouted.

"The rest of the fairies that _she_ is calling!" Sarah heard it now, a growing hum, like the one that the orange fairy was making. Except this hum was much, much louder and was getting closer by the second. Sarah could see in the distance, a dark flittering mass flying towards her. Sarah remembered how painful the bite had been from just one fairy. She couldn't imagine a swarm of them attacking. And she sure didn't want to stick around to find out. Hoggle was motioning for her to follow him as they started running down the length of the Labyrinth's wall. Sarah was sprinting and in no time, had caught up to Hoggle. She grabbed his hand and half pulled, half dragged him as they tried to out run the angry mob of demon fairies. She could hear them getting closer.

"Hoggle? Where's the gate?"

"It's not much farther. The Labyrinth moved its entrance since you left." She could see it now. Last time, they had been two heavy wooden doors. Now, one of them was missing. They had almost made it when the fairies caught up and swooped down on them. Sarah felt a sharp pain on her forehead and neck. She swatted at them, but they just attacked her hand. They bit small chunks of flesh out of her hand, leaving little beads of blood on her skin. They had reached the door, and were jumping through the opening that the missing door had created. The fairies followed them and were becoming even more aggressive, if that were possible. Hoggle was almost untouched, except for a few marks from fairies that had missed her.

"They only want me!"

"Yes, they love the taste of human flesh." Fantastic. Evil cannibal fairies.

"What are we going to do? We cant keep running forever."

"We just needs to find a secret passage into the Labyrinth's inner maze and then we'll lose them. They don't dare go father than the first outer wall."

Sarah was frantically searching from wall to wall for a sign of a passage or opening into the Labyrinth proper. That worked out so well last time. Not. She had to get help from a worm.

"Aha! There's one!" Hoggle pointed to the wall on the left, where a fallen tree limb was resting.

"Hoggle, I don't see anything!" The fairies were persistent. They kept biting and snapping at Sarah and it hurt like hell. She could feel blood trickling down her face, her arms, her fingers. She was beginning to feel a little dizzy. If only she could sit and rest for a moment… Sarah's steps faltered and she almost tripped, but Hoggle gripped her arm hard and made her keep moving.

"Come on Sarah, we're almost there. Just keep moving! The fairy venom is trying to overtake your body. Just keep _moving_." Sarah forced herself to put one foot in front of the other. She had abandoned defending herself from the fairies. Her limbs felt so heavy. Suddenly Hoggle stopped and she was so relieved that she almost collapsed on the ground right there. Hoggle kicked the tree branch out of the way and was suddenly disappearing into the ground. He was almost completely gone when he poked his head out, which appeared to be coming out from under the wall that connected to the ground.

"How did you do that?" Her words slurred a little.

"Just walk down, it's a staircase!" Sarah blinked several times but didn't see anything but floor and wall. She tilted her head from side to side, which annoyed the fairies who were trying to get a good piece of her throat. She couldn't even feel them anymore. She was numb. As she moved her head and looked at it from different angles, she saw that the ground's dimensions changed and were no longer flat. The wall wasn't just a vertical plane either. She saw the indentions that made out steps going down into the earth. She stumbled down the steps until they were underground. A few daring fairies came down with her, but when they saw where they were headed, darted out from where they had entered. Hoggle took her hand and led her up stairs which opened up into the Labyrinth proper. As Sarah began to register that she might be seriously injured, she collapsed on the ground right then and there.

**Note: I was trying to figure out how to explain and write the stairs that go under the wall and back up to the other side. The best way I can describe it is the optical illusion from Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade when Indiana walks over the canyon on the beam that is camouflaged to look like nothing is there. So…yea. **

**

* * *

**"She'll be _fine_. Just give her a few moments to recover, Hogbog."

"Are you sure Jareth?" Jareth glared at Hoggle, and the goblin shrunk away from him. Jareth had been watching her in his crystal sphere when the fairies attacked. She had been out of his sight for less than fifteen minutes and had already been in some sort of trouble which resulted in her becoming unconscious. They were doomed. He shook his head and dragged a hand through his hair. What was he going to do with her? If she succeeded would she just return home and that would be the end of it? Of course she would. Why would she stay? For him? Ha. She would never admit to having any feelings for him. And neither would he. She had to make the first move. After the last time, he would not put himself out there again. She would have to come to him on her own.

The thought that chilled him was what if she didn't succeed? What would happen to all of them? He wasn't sure but it probably wouldn't be good. And he had just inflicted their fate on her. It was selfish. He couldn't take it back though. It was done. She made her choice. Hell, if she wasn't so stubborn and prideful, she could have just did the easier thing for everyone involved and agreed to stay and admit that he did have power over her. She was too obstinate though, which was one of the reasons why he had been so fascinated with her when she went through his Labyrinth. She had been so focused and headstrong, as he had watched her go through his Labyrinth. And he had secretly loved every minute of it.

Jareth let out a frustrated sigh and applied the medicine to her bites. The Florycupa leaves were good healing plants. It would draw out the venom of the fairies, and she would wake up in a few moments.

"Ugh…" Sarah reached up to her head to feel if it was actually being pounded at by a hammer, or if it just felt like it. She struggled to sit up, but was able to scoot up to a sitting position against the wall.

"How do you feel, Sarah?" Hoggle asked, coming up close to see if she was okay.

"I'm alright Hoggle. How long have I been out?"

"Just a couple minutes," Jareth answered. "I put some medicine on your bites. Keep them on for a little while, until you don't have a headache anymore. Then you can take them off."

"Um…thanks Jareth."

"Well, I cant afford to have you unconscious for hours on end. I'm protecting my investment." He smirked and stood up. "So…now that you are awake and coherent, let us be off."

"Us? Are you coming with us?"

"For a little while. I want to make sure you don't get into trouble again. Once I'm sure you are stable to go on your own, then I will leave you to your task."

Sarah started to stand up and then got really dizzy. She slipped and was falling back. Her head almost hit the wall behind her, but Jareth quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her up. He used a little too much force and she went careening into his body. They almost lost their balance, but Jareth had enough strength for the both of them. He held her steady and pushed her away until she was at arm's length. Sarah was still a little disoriented and was wondering how she had ended up here, standing with Jareth's hands gripping her upper arms. It took a moment for her mind to catch up.

"Thanks," she mumbled and stepped out from his arms.

"Be more careful," he chided. "How do you expect to beat the Labyrinth if you are falling over every five minutes!"

"Excuse me," she whirled on him, "I am doing this for _you_. Don't forget that."

"How could I forget?" He replied sarcastically. They stared at each other: Sarah with her hands on her hips, Jareth with his arms crossed over his chest. Both were inclined toward each other, waiting for the other to speak.

Finally Sarah sighed and said, "I don have time for a staring contest. " Jareth raised an eyebrow but did not comment. "Come on Hoggle, let's get going." Hoggle who had been standing aside watching the whole exchange unfold, quickly hurried to catch up to Sarah who had taken off in the opposite direction of Jareth. Jareth followed, if not just to keep her safe, but to annoy her some more. He would be bored in the castle waiting for her to finish or fail. Actually, he had been bored since she left his Labyrinth the first time. He quickly fell in step with her.

"Some fairies you have there," Sarah commented as they wound their way through the Labyrinth.

"They are not _my_ fairies…anymore. I don't have the authority to control them like I did when you were here the first time."

"You restrained them?"

"Of course. I may not have wanted you to succeed, but I didn't want a dead girl on my conscience either." Sarah shuddered. Had they really been that dangerous?

Hoggle chose the time to jump in and gain some of Sarah's attention back, "Them fairies live off of live flesh, although they prefer human flesh. Human flesh to them is…"

"Irresistible." Jareth finished.

"Why are they so dangerous? They bit me but that was about it…"

"Their venom. They bite you enough times and the venom starts to work its way through your body. It makes you feel numb, tired, and lethargic. All humans have different reactions to it. You had the added side effect of dizziness. Once the venom is inside you, you are almost powerless to stop it from overtaking you. If Hoggle had not been with you to keep you moving, you would have passed out and they would have finished you off as you slept." Sarah shuddered at what could have been.

They came up on a dead end, and Sarah turned around to look for another route. Jareth just watched her with a slightly amused expression on his face. As she started down another path, Jareth said, "Do you have any plan as to how to finish my Labyrinth?"

"Not at the moment." Sarah paused before the path that now forked into to different directions. "Any suggestions?" She asked Jareth.

"I cant say. That would be interfering too much." Sarah sighed and studied both paths. One was scattered with more debris but looked clear of everything else. The other path appeared to bend a little before entering the hedge portion of the Labyrinth. It looked calm and peaceful. She didn't trust it. Yet…last time, she had been gaining ground when she found the hedge area. She turned to Hoggle for assistance, "Which should we choose, Hoggle?" He looked from one to the other and back, before pointing to the hedged path.

They started off and Jareth was about to leave them to their journey when Sarah turned to him, "You know, I find it hard to believe that I have been the only one to finish your Labyrinth."

"You are certainly entitled to your own opinion."

"So, I really am the only person to have ever won?"

"Yes," he admitted, his teeth clenched.

"Sore subject?" She smiled when he glared at her.

Jareth ignored her satisfied smug face. "The Labyrinth was made to be unbeatable. No one ever cared enough for the child that they wished away. So, they never succeeded. The Labyrinth was designed to be impossible to beat because it is a way to protect the unwanted children form the world. A slip of the tongue as in your case, was not considered in the making of the Labyrinth's purpose. So when you beat it, the Underground's very foundation on which it was built, started to crack." Sarah tried to take all of this in. Jareth was painting a picture that she did not wish to think about: him being the kind, protector of unwanted children. This did not fit in with her image of him.

"If I had failed to get Toby in time, what would have happened to him? You weren't going to turn him into a goblin, were you?"

"No, I wouldn't. The goblins and creatures of the Labyrinth are simply that: goblins and creatures. They were not unwanted children wished away."

"So…where did the children go when all the people before me failed?"

"After the challenger fails, the child is taken to the main city of the Underground. It is outside of the Labyrinth past the mountains that can be seen from the hilltop you started on." Sarah vaguely remembered seeing mountains in the distance.

"Then what?"

"They live out their life there where they are appreciated and loved. The magic of the Underground transforms them and they become the immortals of the Underground." Sarah was about to ask another question but Jareth cut her off.

"Enough with the questions. You have to focus on beating the Labyrinth." He got a gleam in his eye and a mischievous smile appeared on his face. "I am obviously too much of a distraction for you."

"Hardly."

He waved his hand at her in dismissal, "In any case, I must be off. I have more important things to attend to than stick around here." Sarah turned to go but Jareth stopped her. "Oh, and Sarah?"

"What now!"

"Try not to get into too much trouble while I am away. I would rather not have to continuously be worried whether or not you are about to be eaten by some creature, or lost in the Fieries' Forest." With those parting words, he disappeared.

"Uh…Sarah? We should get going." Sarah had forgotten that Hoggle was there.

"You're right. Let's move on." As they walked, Sarah removed the leaves from her bites. There were almost no marks on her skin. Impressive.

They walked in silence for a while as they made turns and twists but it just seemed like they were going in circles. She was sure that they had passed that hideous stature before…"I wonder if we could climb one of these hedges and take a look to see which direction we should be going," she thought aloud. Hoggle was a little hesitant to try but Sarah would not be deterred.

"Here, climb on my shoulders until you can pull yourself up to the top to get a good look." Hoggle being the coward he was, did not want to do this.

"Sarah, I'm afraid of heights."

"Are you kidding me? You jumped out of that huge machine at the goblin city, and now you're telling me you don't want to climb my shoulders because _you are afraid of heights_?"

"Um…yes?" Sarah sighed and started pacing back and forth. They had to find out where they were going, otherwise they could spend all of their time wandering the hedged maze. It was getting darker too, and they would need to find a place to stay for the night. As she thought about what to do, she ran her hand through her hair. Her ring caught on a strand of hair and she yelped when it pulled on her scalp. She was about to yank the stupid thing off and fling it on the ground, but thought of a better use for it. She slid it off her finger and said, "Hoggle?"

"Yea?"

"I'll make a deal with you. If you climb the hedge to look where we need to go, then I will give you my ring. It's _cubic zirconia_." She said it with reverence as if it were some rare gem. He had been fascinated by her plastic bracelet…why wouldn't he be with her fake diamond ring?" It did the trick. Hoggle grabbed it and held it in his hand with awe.

"Alright Sarah." She smiled and got on her knees so Hoggle could climb up her back. His legs dug into her back as he struggled for balance but she didn't dare complain when she had finally convinced him to do this.

"Do you see anything?"

"Um…yes, the castle is that way!" He pointed to the far left of them. "Ah!"

"What? Hoggle, what happened?" She heard a screeching sound just as Hoggle flew off of her shoulders and over the side of the hedge. She looked up to see an insanely large black bird/bat/ thing flying away with a piece of Hoggle's shirt in his beak.

"Hoggle, are you alright?"

There was no answer, she tried to peel away the leaves and see through to the other side of the hedge, but it was too thick. "Hoggle!" She saw an opening up ahead and took it, praying that it would lead her to Hoggle. Instead, it took her to a courtyard with a large willow tree in the center. Some of the branches had fallen off, but it still looked beautiful.

"Hoggle? Can you hear me?" The Labyrinth had shifted slightly, and now the way she had come was blocked off. The only opening was to the far right, not only the opposite direction of the castle, but also to where Hoggle had disappeared. Sarah threw her shoulder bag on the ground and plopped down under the tree and rested her back against it. It was almost dark and this was as good a place as any to stop for the night.

**Note:**

**KraZiiePyroz: I decided on which way to go with it and some of it is revealed in this chapter-hope ya like it. **


	5. Ch 5: Safe in the Dark

**Ok so I am super sorry for the long wait. I was on a family vacation and then had work for 8 nights in a row. Suffice it to say that I have had little time to write this chapter. I'm sorry if it's crappy. I am not completely happy with it, but I figured this was better than nothing...right? Anyway, enjoy, and I promise I will try to get another chapter out before next week when spring classes start. Because after that...well I cant guarantee regular updates...15 units will be a challenge. Have a great week and enjoy! R/R please! **

**Oh, and in case you haven't figured it out, all the chapters are named after songs. If you ever have time, check them out, because they're all awesome!**

It was nightfall and Sarah was utterly alone. She didn't want to have to face the Labyrinth at night by herself, but it seemed like that was what would happen. With the willow's branches obstructing her view of the Labyrinth and her mind tricking her into thinking she could hear whispers, Sarah was becoming more and more uneasy. She shivered and got out her sweatshirt. As she hugged her knees to her chest, she kept a watchful eye on her surroundings. When the wind picked up and the leaves swayed in the breeze, Sarah could catch glimpses of the courtyard from where she sat. It was almost completely black out there and there was no moon out, whether it was because there was none in the Underground or if it wasn't the time of month when it was out…she couldn't remember if the moon had been out last night at home.

Sarah heard a crack and whirled around to where she had heard the noise. She remembered her flashlight and snatched it from her bag. She flipped the switch on and shone the light towards the sound. The willow tree's bending branches blocked most of the view. She got up, peeled back the curtain of leaves and pointed the light out into the courtyard. She couldn't see anything unusual. She swept the light back and forth along the entire courtyard, walking around the tree in a circle until she was satisfied that she was alone.

"Stop being paranoid, Sarah," she told herself. "Get some sleep, you'll need it tomorrow." She laid down with her back snuggled against the tree and used her bag as a pillow. She closed her eyes and waited for sleep. It didn't come. She turned so that she was on her back, but that didn't help either. She let out a frustrated sigh and attempted to count goblins. Sheep had always seemed like a stupid thing to count anyway. Why not use a little creativity? She had only gotten to goblin number seven when someone interrupted her thoughts.

"Cant sleep?"

Sarah jumped up, holding her bag out in front of her as a weapon before realizing it was Jareth. Her heart was pounding a million miles a minute, but it was starting to slow down as she forced herself to calm down.

"Holy cannoli don't do that!" She hissed. She dropped her bag and sat down against the tree again. She let out a deep breath and tried to regulate her breathing as well as her heart rate.

"Sorry, dear. Thought I might drop in to see how you were doing."

"Right, and scaring me out of my skin was just an added bonus." He smiled and took a few steps closer before kneeling down to be eye level with her. Her stomach fluttered at his close proximity to her. She would have moved back if she weren't already against the tree. She was pinned where she sat.

In an attempt to sound calm and in control she tried to be angry and accusatory, "What do you really want Jareth?"

He put his hand over his heart and tried to look as innocent and well-intentioned as possible before saying, "Honestly, I was thinking of you. I thought you might be hungry." Now that he mentioned it, she was starving. Her stomach rumbled and vibrated within her. He heard it and flicked his wrist. A peach appeared in his palm.

"Do you honestly believe I am going to eat that thing? Especially after what you did to me last time?"

"Sarah, I'm wounded. You always think the worst of me."

"With good reason."

He spoke to her as if he were explaining something very simple to a little child, "Do you honestly think I would try to do anything to you with this peach when I need you to save my Labyrinth?"

Damn, he had a point. She sighed, "Alright give it to me." She stretched her hand out, waiting for him to place it in her palm.

"No 'please'?"

She clenched her teeth and spit out, "Please."

Jareth gave it to her and when their hands touched she felt warmth flood through her. She felt stupid reacting so ridiculously to his touch. She blushed and was glad that it was dark. He jerked his hand away from hers-whether it was from the same thing she felt or just repulsion, she didn't know. Either way, he didn't seem to think anything more of it. He reached out behind his back and pulled out a small loaf of bread and some sort of dried meat as well. He placed those on top of her bag.

Sarah cursed herself for forgetting to bring her own food…and water. What was she going to do without water? As if he read her mind, Jareth also produced a large leather pouch from seemingly nowhere. She could hear some kind of liquid swishing around inside it. He handed that to her and she drank gratefully. It _was_ water, and what delicious water it was! It tasted so sweet in her mouth. Her dry, scratchy throat was once again moist and satisfied.

"Thanks Jareth. Who knew you could be polite and thoughtful if you tried."

"Well thank you for your high opinion of me," he said sarcastically.

A brisk wind flew up suddenly, and Sarah hugged herself closer to keep warm. Jareth watched the movement and sighed. He held up one of his crystal balls and in a second, it turned into a flaming ball of fire. He set it down on the ground next to Sarah's feet. It was a small fire but it generated a lot of heat. In no time she was toasty warm. With the new light, she could see him much better. His blonde hair was as unruly and shaggy as ever. Yet, it made him look even more dignified and kingly, if that were possible. As Sarah watched the Goblin King she noticed that he was wearing his long black, glittery cape from when she had first met him. His black shirt was loose and open at the neck where it showed off a muscular chest. Sarah quickly glanced away. After a moment, she dared to look him in the face, hoping he wouldn't be watching her. For once, luck was on her side. He was staring off somewhere behind her. Taking full advantage of his mental checkout, she studied his face. His sharp features lent to his arrogant character. His sharp, thin nose definitely gave that impression. His eyes were the same cold, unreadable glass orbs as they had been six years ago, never revealing anything of the emotions behind them. He had light purple bags under his eyes, as if from a lack of sleep, but she didn't think he needed to sleep…or did he?

"Jareth, you look tired."

He snapped back from wherever he had been, "Sarah, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you sounded concerned."

"I'm not. I was just wondering…do you ever sleep?"

"Yes, but with the upcoming demise of my kingdom and all, I would think it wouldn't be too hard for you to grasp that it may cause a lack of sleep."

"Must you always be so harsh?"

He smirked. "Sarah, after a century or two of living _here_, there is no other option but to be cynical, blunt, and yes, harsh."

"Is it that bad? Being here?"

He thought a moment. "No. It didn't used to be. Before…" he looked at her as if deciding whether he wanted to share this information with her, if she were worthy to hear it. "Before I became the Goblin King," he said the title with slight distaste, "it was quite fun." He gave a rare genuine smile at a long ago memory.

Sarah looked to him, expecting him to look at her but he was staring into space, recollecting. The firelight reflected and danced across his cheek and made his skin glow. It made him look sweet and not so guarded. She enjoyed seeing this side of Jareth…slightly vulnerable and open. She wasn't saying that he had given her his life story or anything, but sharing this small piece of himself seemed huge for him. She dared to ask him a question that might make him angry, embarrassed, or once again snide and indifferent. She swallowed before asking, "Is it lonely living in the Underground?"

Sarah watched his reaction. First, his eyes seemed soft and sad, but in an instant they hardened and turned to hers. He looked down at her with his full arrogance. "Who could be lonely with a thousand goblins running around never giving you a moment's peace?"

She had ruined the nice moment by asking the most prideful man she ever met if he was lonely. He had returned to his snarky, sarcastic self. She sighed and sat cross-legged with her chin resting in her hand. Should she apologize? Or would that make it worse? Anything she said right then would probably not be helpful. She studied the ground trying not to make eye contact with him, but as she looked at the stone ground, she saw that there were cracks all along the stones, and some were even loose, ready to pop out from there sealed place. It reminded her of a question she had had earlier.

"Jareth?"

"What could you possibly want now?"

"Why did the Underground start to fall apart now? It seems a little convenient that we only have a few days left and I showed up here just in time to help."

"Are you insinuating that I am behind this just to lure you back here?"

She hadn't meant for him to take it that way. "No, not at all! I was just wondering how, in the six years since I have been gone, that it hasn't disappeared already. And why didn't Hoggle or the others mention it the first couple years that I stayed in contact? I could have come back sooner to help…"

"The changes were not extreme. It was a gradual change over time. I could feel something had changed but I didn't know what exactly was wrong. The Underground's very core felt like it had shifted and I didn't know what it meant. Those first years you were in contact with your little friends, I was not even aware of the danger we were in. The changes were small and did not seem to be a cause for concern." When Sarah looked at Jareth, he looked almost…guilty.

"The creatures started changing first, like the fairies. Slowly, I couldn't control them anymore. They became destructive and harmful to the Labyrinth and Underground. Then I had no effect on the plants and they could not be contained. They grew wild without restraint-anywhere and everywhere. This tree was not always here." He looked above her head to the crown of the willow tree. "The stones around its trunk have been upended unceremoniously, as you can see," he pointed at the ground by my feet. The stones were sticking out at odd angles. The tree had shoved itself above the surface of the stones, making an uneven paved ground around it.

"I did notice that the walls of the Labyrinth are not…whole."

"Yes, that came next," he said grimly. "The quakes and storms came last. The Labyrinth became chaos. My power and control over the elements and weather were gone."

"When did you realize that it was coming apart?"

"About two years after you left the Labyrinth. That was when the changes became more noticeable. At that time I had no reason to raise alarm among my subjects until I knew more. It took me almost another year to figure out why all of it was happening. Then it hit me…it was because of _you_. Of course, of all the people that could single-handedly destroy the Underground, it would be you." He rubbed his hand over his face, making him look haggard and worn out. It made her want to reach out to him and comfort him, but she knew he wouldn't accept it.

"So…my calling on Hoggle today was just a lucky coincidence?"

"_Very_ lucky. The only thing I could do the past few years was wait and watch you until you made the first move. And you finally did, just like I knew along." At this, a self-satisfied smile crept onto his face. It reached his eyes where they began to sparkle with amusement.

"What do you mean?"

He chuckled. "Oh Sarah, you are so predictable. As soon as you left my Labyrinth, I knew you would leave it with a better sense of who you were, and yet, you would probably forget everything soon after."

"I didn't forget, I-"

"Whatever. In any case, you did precisely what I knew from the start."

Sarah waited for him to answer. "Well? What did you 'know'?" She used air quotes.

"That you would want more than your dreary human life after you knew about the Underground. Sarah, you are not the type of girl to be satisfied with a normal, boring life in the mortal world. Eventually, you would have come back."

"If you remember correctly, I didn't choose to come here for a friendly visit. I came here to help you and my friends, nothing more."

"Give it some time, and I'm sure you will come around."

"Come around to what?" She was getting annoyed now, and it leaked in her voice.

"The longer you spend in the Labyrinth, the more you will want to stay. Permanently."

She gave him a disbelieving look, "We'll see about that."

"You will love living here, I guarantee it."

"Umm…I don't remember agreeing to stay."

"No, not yet, but you will." Sarah rolled her eyes and stretched her legs out in front of her.

"I'm too tired to keep arguing with you. Can you please leave me alone so I can go to sleep?"

He swept his arm out and gestured for her to lie down. She eyed him suspiciously.

"What? Don't you trust me Sarah?"

"Not a bit."

He sighed dramatically and looked up into the tree. "Someday you will learn to trust me."

"Sure." Sarah fluffed her bag and laid down. As she stared up into the tree, she soon forgot Jareth sitting across from the fireball, humming to himself. She wondered what was happening at home. Was her dad looking for her? Did her step mom miss her at all? And Toby. Was Toby doing alright without her? She hoped so. He was a strong kid. He'd be alright. Hopefully.

She was drifting off but she wasn't quite asleep yet. It was like the state between dreaming and awake, this limbo where you cant decide if what you hear and feel is real or a dream. She could have sworn she heard Jareth quietly singing a very familiar song. Her mind went back to that long ago dream which was forever linked to that song. She was alone and confused. She didn't know what she was looking for…and then a certain handsome man had started dancing with her. She had felt beautiful and grown up. Being held in his arms while he whirled her around the room had been thrilling, exuberating, and completely terrifying. She had been out of her element in this dream, hallucination, or whatever it was. She could still hear the song playing in her head that he sang to her.

"…But I'll be waiting for you, as the world falls down…"

Wait, was she dreaming now, or did she really just hear him sing that? She was tired, perplexed and groggy so her effort to make sense of it was minimal. The last thing she thought of before losing consciousness was the way he had looked at her when he had sang that song…

Jareth heard Sarah groan, and she flipped onto her side, facing him. He sighed. "I guess that means I should be going now," he whispered to himself. He had promised himself he would leave her once she was safely asleep. He had seen her apprehension about being alone during the night. So, being the chivalrous, yet opportunistic man he was, he decided to give her some company. Oh, and she was too senseless to remember to bring food or water, so he had to get that as well.

He couldn't keep himself from staring at her when she slept. Her face was serene and beautiful when it wasn't contorted in anger or sarcasm (directed at him, no less). Her dark, long hair fell along her shoulders and back, but sometimes the wind would tug at it and send her tendrils dancing lightly over her body. It was marvelous, just how striking she was. She didn't even understand the effect she could have on him. If she ever did…God help him. Well, he wouldn't worry about _that. _There were much more pressing things to be concerned with. Speaking of things that were causing concern, he had to be off. As much as he enjoyed sitting here, watching Sarah sleep, he was a king after all, and things had to be done. He stood up and brushed off any dirt that may have clung to his clothes. He gave one last look at Sarah, and couldn't resist. He leaned down and planted a quick, light kiss on her forehead. And then in a flash, he was gone.


	6. Ch 6: Troublemaker

**I am sooooo sorry for the long break between updates. Classes have started and it was a hectic couple of weeks. Bad news: this chapter is kind of short, definitely shorter than the last two. Good news: I am already almost done with the next chapter. It was originally a combined chapter but that would have taken more time to finish and publish so I broke it up into two so you guys can have something to read while waiting. Have fun and please give me comments, questions, critiques, etc. The next chapter should be uploaded by Monday night-hopefully. **

Sarah's wake up alarm was a distant squawk. She almost forgot where she was, but as soon as she opened her eyes, everything came back. She didn't know how much time she had wasted sleeping, which made her sit up quickly.

"Oooh, bad idea." She rubbed the small of her back. She was really stiff from sleeping on the hard stone ground all night. She slowly stood up and ran her fingers through her hair. She stretched and pulled her arms over her head and arched her back until she could feel every muscle loosening. As she looked around her, Sarah realized that Jareth and his crystal fireball were gone. Oh well, not like she expected him to stay the entire night anyway. Her eyes did catch something on the floor by her bag. Sarah knelt down and picked up the clothe sack. Inside held some kind of odd pastry. The entire thing looked like a muffin top- bumpy, soft, and uneven. She could see that there were chunks of some kind of fruit in it too. She smiled. Jareth wasn't as tough as he pretended to be. She brought it close to her nose and inhaled the scent. It smelled like cinnamon and freshly baked dough. It made her mouth water. She took a large bite out of it. It was still warm. Oh, it tasted so good. She devoured it in seconds. Once finished with her breakfast, she started to pack up her things. The bread and meat went into her bag, along with the water pouch. Then she stripped off her sweatshirt, packed it, and changed into some new clothes.

Once ready, Sarah stuck her head out of the tree and looked around. The coast was clear. She surveyed the courtyard, noticing that the opening was not in the same place it had been last night. Instead of being on her right side, it was straight ahead. "At least the opening doesn't face the opposite way I need to go," Sarah thought. It could definitely be worse. She didn't waste any time going through the archway. Once on the other side, the archway almost immediately dissolved into dense brush. As she turned to the path ahead of her, Sarah realized there was just a single path that she was forced to follow. Since she had no choice, she followed it, and hoped for a fork, or turn in direction or second path that would lead her in the direction she needed to go. None of the above happened. It just kept going on. The hedges gave way to the stone walls again, and everything was completely unkempt. Vines grew down the walls and stretched across the paved ground. Dirt, leaves, and branches scattered and covered the path, making a natural "carpet" over the stone ground. The path twisted and turned, but it never met up with any other courses, nor did it ever lead her in the direction she needed to go.

After about what she guessed was a half hour, the path still had not forked off. On top of that, the path was slowly directing her to the right. It kept veering away from the castle and Hoggle. She sighed in frustration. She had no choice but to keep walking, though. She could spend the rest of her short time in this Labyrinth going in circles. What if these were in fact, her last days? Did she really want to spend them wandering this place? It was a depressing thought. If she never came back, what would happen to Toby? Would he get over it? Yes, she was sure of it. He was young, it wouldn't be too much of a loss for him. At his age, he would soon get over it and live the rest of his life. Sarah would just be a distant memory that could barely be remembered. She didn't like that. No, she couldn't lose this challenge. "Well, then, I guess I just cannot fail," Sarah thought.

As she walked, the sun started rising higher in the sky. However, Sarah could see some dark clouds not too far away. Soon, she wouldn't even be able to guess at the time, with the sun hidden behind the clouds. Although, now that she thought about it, the Labyrinth never followed the rules, so telling time by the sun could be totally useless.

The morning was wearing on with no sign of progress and Sarah was starting to become impatient. Just as she was wondering if she should head back, she rounded another bend and cursed. It was a dead end. She was mad. No, she wasn't mad, she was _livid_. She had just wasted her entire morning following a trail that dead ended. "What in the world?" She stomped her foot like a little girl having a tantrum. "Are you kidding me?" She picked up a rock and threw it at the stone wall that stood in her way, mocking her pathetic attempt at solving the Labyrinth. She folded her arms across her chest and started pacing, now and then stopping to glare at the object of her hatred. It was just like every other wall in the Labyrinth: sandy stone, thick, tall. It had the usual vines and leaves covering it. There was nothing different about it. Why did it have to be in her way? "You'd think that the Labyrinth would try to cooperate with me just a _little_. After all, I am trying to _help_ it! I mean, I am here to keep the Labyrinth from disappearing. That deserves some respect!" Sarah ranted to herself for some time, trying to let off steam. In her anger and conversation with herself, Sarah didn't pay much attention to her surroundings. "How am I supposed to get through the Labyrinth if it wont-oof!"

Something slapped her feet out from under her and she landed flat on her back. The wind was knocked out of her and she gasped for breath but she couldn't inhale air. She tried regaining her breath, and started panicking when she felt something tighten around her ankles. Sarah struggled to sit up to see what was happening. Propping herself on her elbow, she saw vines crawling moving down the wall and coiling themselves around her feet and slowly moving up her legs. If she wasn't so scared, she might reflect on the absurdity of the situation. Sarah looked around for something that would be of use to her. She saw a long, thick branch laying on the ground a few feet away. She stretched herself out to grab the branch but it was too far. She moved towards it, but the vine quickly tightened it's grip on her and started tugging her toward it.

Sarah stretched her arm out as far as it would go, straining her muscles as she did. She could almost reach it…just an inch or two away from her fingertips. Sarah wriggled on the ground trying to loosen the vine's grip, but that only made it tighter. It started to drag her towards the wall's dead end. She turned to where she lay on her stomach, and dug her fingers into the cracks between the stones. She used it to pull herself away from the vine creature. She was making slow progress. She could almost touch the branch now…as Sarah stretched as far as she could, her fingers brushed against the hard, slimy wood. She grabbed it and held on to it like a vice. As the vine pulled her back to it, her arms and hands got scraped and scratched, leaving a biting, sting. She turned around, on her back again, and swung the branch over her head. It came down on the outstretched plant and smashed it. Green pulp sprayed out from it, and it loosened it's grip of Sarah. Some of the green muck got on her cuts, and it felt like fire on her skin. Sarah sucked in a breath and grasped her wounds. They were becoming more and more red by the second.

Sarah saw the plant retreating a little to assess it's damage and she took full advantage of it and scrambled to her knees. She finally got to her feet and went to take another swing at the creature. As she raised the branch, the vine shot out and smacked the branch out of her arm. A large red welt formed on her wrist, where it had struck.

At this point Sarah figured the best option would be to run. She took off, flying. She ran as fast as her feet would allow. She ducked branches, and darted out of the way of the vine's reach. The wind against her open cuts, was unbearable. It brought tears to her eyes, but she had to keep going. The vine slithered along the ground after her, sometimes nipping her heels but never grabbing hold of them. She looked over her shoulder to see if she had gained some ground. It snapped up and smacked her in the face. It made her falter, and the vine overtook her. It wrapped around her waist and yanked her down. She fell backwards and put her arms behind her to break her fall. Her elbows and arms got scraped up more, but that was the least of her worries at the moment. She kicked at it, but it just grasped her feet and squeezed. Sarah was at a loss as to how to keep fighting. This thing wasn't quitting and nothing was deterring it. It was crawling it's way up to her face and she was afraid to find out what would happen when it reached it. In a flash she knew what to do.

"Jareth I need your help. NOW!" She was able to say just as the vine was clamping it's leaves over her mouth. She would have bitten it or chewed her way out of this, but she figured that wasn't a good idea, considering it's green blood probably had some sort of poison in it. After all, it was burning her arms and hands like acid.

One moment, she was being constricted by a living vine, the next, she was free. She heard an unnerving screech come from the thing. She looked up to see Jareth holding one of his crystal balls, and then, he threw it at the creature. When it touched the plant, a small explosion happened, and the screeching resumed. The leathery green vines recoiled and started to retreat back to wherever it had come from. It hissed and garbled in anger. Sarah slowly got to her feet and looked up at Jareth. He was staring down the creature, as if to assert his victory over it. After it was completely out of sight, he turned to her.

"Can't you stay out of trouble for a few hours while I'm gone?" He spun to face her, putting his hands on his hips and glaring down at her.

Too stunned to fire back a sarcastic remark at the moment, she asked, "What was that thing?" Jareth started pacing back and forth in front of her.

"The Iviathas, just one of the many annoying, yet deadly plants of the Underground-that's not important. Why cant you be more careful?" He demanded angrily, stopping directly in front of her. He was mere inches from her face as he leaned down and glowered at her.

Surprised at his hostility, she shot back with just as much anger, "I wasn't _looking_ for trouble. It's not my fault your Labyrinth is out to get me! I was following the only path available. It's not like I'm trying to fail!"

"It matters not if you are trying to or not, just that you are."

"I'm doing all of this for you!" She pointed a finger at his chest.

"Yes, how could I forget _that_." He looked down at her arms and frowned. He sighed deeply to show his displeasure and said, "And you have _once again_ injured yourself." He grabbed her arms and examined them. "Is there anything you can do right?"

"Look, I'm trying the best I can, and your yelling and criticizing isn't helping." Sarah stood tall and firm, knowing that she was in the right. She tried tugging her arms away from him, but he held firm.

"These need to be treated," he snapped at her. He flicked his wrist and a strange tall, oblong bottle appeared in his open palm. He applied it to her scrapes, and then washed it off with some water, which also appeared at his whim. "You don't have to yell at me every time something goes wrong," Sarah insisted.

He sneered, "Apparently I do. Obviously walking around for an hour without running into trouble is too challenging for you." Sarah wanted to protest but he cut her off, "And when you summoned, no more like _demanded_ me to come to your aid, I got no 'thank you' or gratitude!" He threw his hands up in the air and turned his back on her.

As every human does in certain situations, once someone brings up the fact that you haven't said thank you, it made Sarah not want to all the more. "Thank you!" She shouted without true sincerity.

"Well, now that I feel so highly appreciated-"

"Save it. I don't need to hear more of your sarcastic remarks, especially when I didn't do anything to deserve them." She turned to leave but stopped before actually walking away. She shifted so that she could see him over her shoulder. "By the way, I am truly, very grateful for you helping me." She said it with all seriousness and meaning. "If only you hadn't jumped down my throat as soon as I was free, I might have had the chance to say so." With those words for him to think over, Sarah walked away.

* * *

Jareth stormed into his castle, fuming. He pushed open the twin doors that opened to the throne room with extra force than was needed. The doors slammed against the walls, making a loud _thud_. She was right. He _hated_ being wrong. His temper had gotten the better of him, _again_, and it had made him look like a fool. A sickly green-colored goblin had the misfortune to walk by during Jareth's black mood, and so was given a good kick to the head. It scurried away, surprised and fearful of the volatile king. Lately his moods were so unpredictable ranging from high to low at any given moment, that his subjects had just avoided him as much as possible.

Jareth raked a hand through his hair, contemplating the recent exchange. He had been sitting on his throne, reading from the _Order of the Underground, _the ancient book set down from king to king which held all the laws and regulations that must be adhered to. In an instant, he had heard her voice calling him, transcending time and space, making its way to his ears. He had dropped the old, worn book on the floor and grabbed a crystal. He saw her struggling against the Iviathas, and had been there in an instant. His first reaction to her had been fear. Fear that she was seriously hurt. Then, once he saw that she was alright, he had been angry. Really angry. How did she expect to finish the Labyrinth if she couldn't watch out for herself? He couldn't be there the entire way, helping her along. The Underground wouldn't allow it. He was already pushing it with always rescuing her from her present course of self-destruction.

Jareth sighed and rubbed a hand across his face. She had been angry with him, but nothing he hadn't seen before. She would be over it soon…maybe. An idea crossed his mind-something that might make her not angry with him anymore but he quickly dismissed it. The Goblin King did NOT ask for forgiveness.

He just hoped that she would try to pay attention and actually stay away from danger for a little while. He was a king, he had things to do. He couldn't keep dropping everything to run to her aid. It showed how weak he was. A mortal girl controlled his every move. He sighed. These human feelings were quite troublesome.


	7. Ch 7: Help I'm Alive

Chapter 7

Sarah rubbed her arms as she walked, glad that the medicine Jareth had applied to her cuts was working. It was rapidly healing, something she was very grateful for. The uncomfortable heat from her wounds was dropping quickly, and soon she could only see faint, pink scratches instead of the once red, bloody, infected cuts. A couple hours after her altercation with Jareth, Sarah still had not come any closer to finding Hoggle or the castle than she had this morning. After backtracking for a while, there had finally been an opening archway to the right, which from Sarah's memory would be left coming from the other direction. She should be going the correct direction now, but she could just as easily be completely lost and walking in circles. She was also concerned with the fact that she was once again in the stone-walled section of the impossible maze.

The Labyrinth's stone walls and paths were slowly becoming the worse for wear as she moved farther into the Labyrinth. The walls were almost entirely concealed by overgrown foliage, and there was a thick layer of dirt, leaves, and stone rabble covering the ground. The day had started out sunny and warm, but by early afternoon a cold front had swept in and a light misty fog had settled. Sarah could see about fifteen feet in front of her before the ominous fog swallowed up whatever was ahead. She walked cautiously, stepping over obstacles and running her fingers along the wall as she went.

She heard the flap of wings above her and she snapped her head up to look. Was the creature a threat? Would it attack her like the vine had? Probably. She could vaguely see a pair of wings beating directly above her about ten feet or so. It screeched and swooped down. Sarah ducked and held her arms out in front of her to protect her face. It came within six inches of her head and soared ahead of her, disappearing into the fog. Sarah squinted to see the creature but nothing was visible. She didn't keep her eyes off the fog in front of her. Wait, she caught a flash of something. Yes…there it was, a black figure emerging out of the grey mist. It flew straight for her. Sarah stood, holding her ground, ready for whatever would happen. It flew toward her leisurely, as if it had all the time in the world. It almost looked like it was coming at her in slow motion.

It was getting closer and closer…Sarah didn't know what to expect when it got to her. About five feet from where she stood, it stopped abruptly and perched on a branch that was sticking out from the other side of the wall on her right side. She watched it carefully, waiting for any kind of movement that would give away it's intentions. She glanced over the creature and found it to be a bit ugly. It was some kind of black bird. It had shaggy, ruffly feathers all over, which stuck out with different lengths and textures. It also had a sort of mohawk. It's black feathers stuck straight up at the top of it's head. What really bothered Sarah was the creature's eyes, which were a sickly green, like the color of a green olive. Those eyes watched her, with a creepy intelligence that unnerved her. The beak was its only redeeming quality. It was long and pointy and a vibrant cerulean blue. The blue beak shined and shimmered every time the creature moved its head. It's talons were long, sleek, and very sharp. It had black thick claws curled around the branch, holding the animal there. Those talons had to be a good nine inches long…like daggers. Sarah shivered at the damage those weapons could do.

"Well, if you are content sitting on that perch all day, I will gladly leave you in peace and be on my way." Sarah took a nervous step forward very slowly, giving the bird a wide birth.

"It's not very nice to ignore someone and pass by without so much as an 'hello.'"

"I beg your pardon?"

The bird had a high-pitched, irritating voice. It's voice went up and down, emphasizing odd parts of the words it was saying. It came out as an off-beat sing-song way of speaking. From what Sarah could tell, it was female.

"You are being very rude, young girl!" Her voice rose until it was a shrill screech. Sarah didn't want to upset it and possibly end up in mortal danger.

She was preening her feathers, annoyed at Sarah's impertinence. "I am so sorry if I have offended you. My name is Sarah, who are you?" She said in the most etiquette way possible.

"I am Plurea, the greatest and most majestic of the winged creatures in the Underground." She said it with such overly dramatic grandiose and reverence, making it hard for Sarah to take her seriously. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

"Plurea, that is such a pretty name, and unique." Flattery, that should smooth things over.

Her feathers pricked up slightly at the compliment. "Thank you! It is so wonderful to finally have a _civilized_ conversation with such a tasteful young lady. After trying to carry on a discussion with a bunch of brainless goblins, you become starved for intelligent creatures." Mission accomplished.

"Oh, I can imagine! I have only been here once before, but they didn't seem very bright."

"What did you say? You have been here before? What did you say your name was, girl?"

"Sarah."

"Oh my!" She squawked. "How did I not realize this before? You are _the_ Sarah Williams?"

"Um…yes, that's me."

"Why, my dear girl, you are famous!"

"I am?"

"Of course! You are the one who challenged the Goblin King and his Labyrinth…and won! You are the only person to have ever done that. You must be someone very special." Sarah blushed, not knowing how to take the odd compliments from the eccentric bird.

"Uh…thank you." Sarah didn't know what else to say to the bird. Luckily, Plurea was a talkative thing, and did all the talking for her.

"Yes, the Goblin King has been brooding over it for years, a little wounded over being bested by a young girl." Sarah lightly chuckled, but Plurea just kept on rambling. "Can you imagine? A grown man, an elegant immortal with unspeakable power, losing to a mortal girl? It was embarrassing. A good many of his subjects thought it quite deserving considering his reputation as a strict, severe king. However, he is a fair and just ruler, and those subjects that have felt his wrath always deserve it. Sure he makes a lot of threats, but he hardly ever goes through with them unless it is provoked. Of course, he has had his rash moments when he lets his anger get the better of him…" She kept on chatting with no sign of stopping. Sarah needed to keep moving, and Plurea hadn't stopped talking to take a breath since she had opened her beak. Sarah was trying to think of a polite way to interrupt the bird when something she said caught her attention. "…being that way is understandable, though. Poor boy, being wished away by his own mother of all people. She didn't even try to win him back. Terrible woman!"

"What? What did you just say?"

"Oops, I've said too much. Forget I said anything." She became agitated and wouldn't look Sarah in the eye.

"Wait, Jareth was a wished away child?"

Plurea was shaking her head. "I shouldn't have said anything. He is going to be very _very_ angry with me. Oh no! What if he decides to throw me in the Bog of Eternal Stench and clip my wings! Oh, pardon me, dear, I must be off, he is not going to be happy at all…" she fretted as she launched off from her perch on the branch. Sarah squinted to see her until she vanished into the fog. Jareth, an unwanted child? It explained so much…but then again, made room for so many more questions like when did he live in the mortal world and who was the Goblin King before him? Sarah was rattled with this new revelation. She started walking absently, thinking over what she had learned and what this meant. Did it change how she viewed Jareth? Definitely. What did those changes mean? She wasn't sure yet.

Sarah was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't look where she was going. She stepped on a crumbled area of the path which gave way under her weight. The surface caved in, taking her with it. Sarah went falling into darkness. She landed on hard stone ground and hit her head on something hard. Her head felt fuzzy and light. She was spinning and the dizziness was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. She reached behind her head and felt something warm and wet-blood. Her stomach lurched at the thought of a serious injury. She tried to look around and see what she had fallen into, but her vision was a little blurry. She rubbed her eyes, but it did no good. She didn't think she should start walking just yet, but time was precious and she didn't want to waste time sitting in some hole. Sarah tried to stand up but her legs wobbled and she pitched forward, falling flat on the ground. Well, now she had no choice but to stay. She was vaguely becoming aware that she probably had a concussion. As she sat down again, she was starting to forget how she had gotten down here.

Sleep…that would fix things, yes sleep. Wait wasn't sleep what you were supposed to avoid if you had a concussion? Sarah couldn't remember. All she knew was that she was slowly losing consciousness and had no intention of fighting it off.

"Sarah? Sarah can you hear me?" Jareth asked her. The woman was near insufferable. She had stomped off angry at him, and no more than a couple hours had gone by when he had decided to check up on her with his crystal and what did he see? Sarah, lying unconscious in one of the Underground's tunnels with a bleeding head injury. He had been quite alarmed, to say the least. After treating her head, he had attempted to wake her up. Unsuccessfully. Now he was genuinely worried.

Sarah could hear a distant voice but didn't really register what it was saying. The person was gently shaking her too, and it was very annoying. She was trying to sleep! What kind of rude person would be waking her up right now? She tried to concentrate though, because the voice seemed to become more urgent. This may be important.

"Sarah, come on honey, please wake up." Sarah really was trying to understand what was going on but she felt so…lost. She felt a hand brushing her cheek, and it felt good. She felt safe.

"Come on, Sarah. Just listen to my voice, show me something-some sign that you can hear me." A moment of comprehension, like a light bulb going off in her head, made Sarah aware. She knew that voice.

Jareth sighed in frustration. "You are _so_ stubborn! You will defy me even if that means threatening your life!"

"You always think everything is about you," Sarah whispered, her voice hoarse and deep from sleep. She opened her eyes but the light was too bright, and she winced, closing her eyes again.

"Well, it is isn't it?" Even though he was making playful banter, it couldn't completely conceal his relief and happiness over seeing her awake and alright.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

" I am not sure, I found you about five minutes ago, before that I wouldn't know."

"Oh…do you know what happened?"

"No, you don't remember?"

"Um…no."

"I don't know either. I happened to be checking on you and see….well not a very comforting picture of my only hope to save the Underground."

"Sorry, I know I keep causing you trouble." Sarah winced as she tried to touch the wound at the back of her head.

"Don't touch it," Jareth warned and caught her hand to stop her, and then quickly dropped it when she looked up at him.

"Gee, thanks for telling me that now."

"Your most welcome. I was able to stop the bleeding and heal it, but the injury goes deeper than the surface, so it will be sore for a while."

"Fantastic." Sarah tried sitting up, but got light-headed.

"Easy," Jareth murmured. Sarah slid back down on the ground, where there was a bunched up piece of clothe with a little bit of dried blood on it. She looked at it quizzically.

"I needed to elevate your head so I used my cloak to keep your head up."

"Right. Sorry, my brain hasn't been caught up to normal speed yet, I think." As she said that, she realized her words were slightly slurred, proving her statement correct.

"Here take this," he said, reaching from somewhere behind him and bringing out a bottle.

"What is it?"

Jareth sighed. "Must you question everything I do?" Before Sarah could say something he continued, "It will help clear your head up." She reached out and grabbed it from his hand and took a healthy drink from it. "That should be enough," he said before she took another drink.

Already Sarah could feel her head clearing up. Her vision was much crisper and she could think without losing her train of thought. "Wow, that really worked well. Thanks, I'm sorry I keep getting into trouble," she repeated.

"You are being uncharacteristically pleasant ."

"I am always pleasant! It is you who has the bad temper. I only respond to it accordingly." Jareth scoffed. Sarah remembered what the old bird had said and her countenance softened. Jareth had been abandoned, just as she had abandoned Toby. No wonder he loathed her so much. To him, she was just like his mother. Jareth saw the change her face and wondered why she was looking at him like that. It almost looked like…pity? Before she could do anything else that would unnerve him, he said, "As much as I'd love to stay here and humor you with your delusions, I must be off. I should have never come in the first place."

"Wait I-" but he had already vanished. Sarah had wanted to ask him about what Plurea had said. Then as Sarah thought better of it she decided maybe it was for the best. The mentioning of his past may not be a welcome subject.

Sarah searched for her bag in the dimly lit place. Finally she felt the clothe bag and reached inside for her flashlight. She sighed in relief as she switched it on, glad it was still working. She looked around for a way out. There was a breeze coming from her left and she followed it, hoping it lead to an exit. Up ahead she could see a very faint light and she ran to it, glad to be out in the sunlight again.


End file.
